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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spell — magic
  5. bank — of a river
  6. field — farmland
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. field — for sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spring — the season
  15. field — a subject
  16. spell — letters
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com